Super Cyclone Amphan to be worst ever in Bay of Bengal. Millions being evacuated.

India and Bangladesh are evacuating millions ahead of Super Cyclone Amphan, expected to be the worst storm ever in the Bay of Bengal. COVID-19 lockdown measures complicating emergency preparations

KOLKATA, INDIA – Super Cyclone Amphan has spurred the evacuation of millions in India and Bangladesh ahead of what is expected to be the worst storm ever to hit the Bay of Bengal.

It is only the second super cyclone on record that has formed over the Bay of Bengal. The first of that classification was the devastating 1999 cyclone “Fani” in Odisha state that left nearly 10,000 dead.

Super Cyclone Amphan about to strike

MarineTraffic.com (May 19, 2020)

The cyclone is expected to make landfall Wednesday morning near the border of India and Bangladesh. Forecasters warn of extensive damage from high winds, heavy rainfall, tidal waves, and flooding in crowded cities like Kolkata. CNN reports that if it lands in the low-lying delta, there is also the potential for major storm surges, perhaps even as high as 30 feet (9 meters).

Amphan is forecast to make landfall near poor, densely populated areas with notoriously unreliable infrastructure. Coastal areas of low-lying Bangladesh are particularly vulnerable to flooding.

Shipping and a number of ports in the busy Bay of Bengal region will take a direct hit from the cyclone.

There are reports on Monday that the storm has registered sustained winds of 165 mph – a Category 5 equivalent on the Saffir-Simpson scale. The storm is however expected to lose some strength as it makes landfall.

#Cyclone#Amphan now has maximum sustained winds of 165 mph – a Category 5 equivalent on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Amphan is tied with Gonu for the strongest #cyclone on record (since 1972) in the North Indian Ocean per Joint Typhoon Warning Center records. pic.twitter.com/yfhzByOz3L